OCB Week – Monday June 18th 2012

Good morning beer fans. It is indeed OCB Week, and we’ve already had more than a few excellent events over the weekend. I couldn’t walk the dogs without having them go haywire because of the smell coming from the Beach BBQ and Brew Festival. We took the family by on Saturday and had a blast. Hanging out with a bunch of friends from breweries, it was great to see so many people who wouldn’t have usually drank a craft beer trying out some great OCB options. Sunday saw The Brewer’s Backyard at Evergreen Brickworks, which I couldn’t make it to, but I hear it was a great success. In addition to that , there has been no shortage of events at specific locations around the city. Check out http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/craftbeerweek/events2012.php to see what’s going on in your neighbourhood. Every day, I’m going to mention a few events that interest me. Not that all the events aren’t going to be awesome, but if I were single with no kids and lots of money, this is where you would find me.

So today, then.

And in this corner….

Tonight Canadian Beer News is hosting a pairing dinner at Beast restaurant, and it’s going to be a heck of a bout. Amsterdam is going toe-to-toe with Flat Rock Cellars in a beer vs wine pairing meal. The bad news is, I’m 99% sure it’s sold out, but there might be a spot or two, give Beast a call at (647)352-6000 to check. $100 all-in, including gratuity. The good news is, Greg from CBN organizes beer dinners regularly. If you miss this one, there is more to come.

Breaking down county lines

The Victory Cafe is playing host to Beau’s and one of their creations: Pan Ontario. Matt O’Hara, Beau’s brewmaster has blended some of his favourite beers from around Ontario with Beau’s Beaver River IPeh then bourbon barrel-aged it for a few months. The blend consists of beers from Wellington, Flying Monkeys, Grand River, Great Lakes as well as Beau’s. Worth popping by for a drop or two!

And to make work tomorrow impossible

If I had done the above, I would leave the Vic and stop by Stout Irish Pub on my way home. Know why? Because Cameron’s and Great Lakes are going to have 7 casks there. And they want to leave with empties at the end of the night. And I like a challenge. I also like Great Lakes Canucklehead and Cam’s RPA. And if I was really smart, I would already have a bottle of Iceberg vodka in the freezer, and about 2 litres of clamato in the fridge. Stout is (I think) over a year old now, but I know lots of people who still haven’t been. If you are in this group, remedy that tonight. Trust me.